England have a golden opportunity to make the early running in the upcoming Ashes series after Australia confirmed Pat Cummins has been officially ruled out of the first Test in Perth.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald admitted his captain had “run out of time” in his bid to recover from a back injury for the series opener on 21 November, when Steve Smith will lead the team.
But a return to bowling in the nets this week for Cummins has buoyed hopes that he will be fit for the second Test, a day-night match, in Brisbane that starts on 4 December.
The i Paper understands Cummins has progressed much faster than Australia had expected a month ago, when there were fears that their captain and bowling spearhead, who has 309 Test wickets at 22.10, would miss the entire series.
Now, though, Brisbane looks a realistic option for the 32-year-old, who at worst looks likely to be back for the third Test in Adelaide that starts on 17 December as long as he suffers no further setbacks.
Cummins has not played since Australia’s Test series against the West Indies in July (Photo: Reuters)Australia will be monitoring Cummins closely as he takes to the nets this week in a bid to increase his workload.
But McDonald, who confirmed the captain will be with the squad in Perth as he builds up to his return to action, said: “It’ll almost be one of those things where you’ll see him in work and it’ll almost be a question of why isn’t he playing in Perth.
“That’s where we think he’ll be placed by that stage. So we’re excited by getting eyes on him in a bowling capacity.
“I suppose you get excited about when he does come back, what an injection that will be to the group, a fully fit Pat Cummins returning some stage during the Ashes and that’s what we’re hopeful for.”
This latest update is a boost to England but it also underlines how crucial it is for them to take advantage of Cummins’ absence for that opening Test.
If Cummins is parachuted into the series with Australia already ahead, it would be a body blow to the hopes of Ben Stokes’s men.
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It is imperative that they make a fast start in Perth, a city where England have lost their last eight Tests and have not won since 1978.
All of those matches were at the Waca. The good news is that is no longer a Test venue, with the new Optus Stadium hosting its first Ashes Test next month.
The calculations for England will surely be to leave nothing to chance for the series opener, with fast bowlers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer likely to be paired together.
But England will hope their batters pick up some form before the Ashes after their opening ODI defeat by New Zealand in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
Harry Brook ensured that match was closer than it might have been with a brilliant 135 but the four other batters in England’s Ashes squad – Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell and Joe Root – managed just six runs between them.
With just one three-day warm-up match on Australian soil before the first Test in Perth, the one-dayers in New Zealand are being treated as the start of the team’s warm-up for the Ashes.
Now more than ever, head coach Brendon McCullum needs to ensure his players hit the ground running in Perth to take advantage of Cummins’ absence.
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